Case 1:15-cr-20014-RNS Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 12/22/2014 Page 1 of 5

U N ITED STA TES D ISTR ICT CO UR T

SO U TH ER N D ISTR ICT O F FLO R IDA

cAsENo. l9-51/% -* A> -::/65

U NITED STAT ES O F A M ER ICA
V S.

M ERLIN M ANZO GARCIA ,

D efendant.
/
C RIM IN A L C O V ER SH EET

D id this m atter originate from a m atter pending in the N orthem Region of the United
StatesA ttorney=s Office priorto O ctober 14,2003?
Yes
X
No
2.

Did thism atteroriginate from a m atterpending in the CentralRegion ofthe U nited States
Attorney=s Office priorto Septem ber 1,20072
Yes
X
No

Respectfully subm itted,

W IFRED O A .FERRER
UN ITED STA TES A TTORN EY
BY:

K'

(1Y I AEL . HAKUR

A SS
N T UN ITED STA TES A TTO RN EY
CourtID N o.A 5501474
99 N .E.4th Street
M iam i,Florida 33132-2111

TEL (305)961-9361
FAX (305)536-7213

Case 1:15-cr-20014-RNS Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 12/22/2014 Page 2 of 5

AO 91(Rev.08/09) CriminalComplai
nt

U NITED STATES D ISTRICT COURT

forthe
Southern DistrictofFlorida
United StatesofAmerica
Y.

MerlinManzoGarcia,

casexo. /M-

- 6%+t-*:sJ-y'

CRIM INAL COM PLAINT

1,the complainantin thiscase,statethatthefollowing istrueto thebestofmy knowledge and belief.

Onoraboutthedatets)of
Southern
Districtof
CodeSection
Title 21,Uni
ted States Code,

Section841(a)(1)

December18,2014
inthecountyof
Florida
,thedefendantts)violated:

Mi
ami-Dade

inthe

OffenseDescri
ption

did knowingly possesswi

ththe intentto di
stribute a Schedule 11controlled
substance,thatis 5 kilogramsormore ofa mixture and substance containing
a detectable am ountofcocaine.

Thiscriminalcomplaintisbased onthesefacts:
See Attached Affidavit

V Continuedontheattachedsheet.

Complainant'
ssignature

ThomasCason,SpecialAqent,HSI
Printed nameand title

Sworn to before meand signed in my presence.

Date:

12/19/2014
Judge'
ssignature

City and state'

.

Hon.Alicia M.Otazo-Reyes,U.S.Magtstrate Judge

-

Printed nameand title

Case 1:15-cr-20014-RNS Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 12/22/2014 Page 3 of 5

A FFID AV IT

1,Thom asCason,being duly sworn,hereby deposeand saythat:

I am a Special A gent of the U nited States D epartm ent of H om eland Security,

lmmigrationandCustomsEnforcement(1CE)andhavebeensoemployedsinceOctoberof2006.I
am currently assigned'to the M iam iFlorida Office oflnvestigations.1am currently assigned to

investigatematterswithinthejurisdiction oftheUnited StatesDepartmentofHomelandSecurity,

including the investigation ofviolationsofcustom sand im m igration law s.Priortothisem ploym ent,

lwasaCustom sand BorderProtection Officerforfouryears.

2.

This aftidavit is being subm itted to supportthe issuance of a crim inalcom plaint

againstM erlin M AN ZO GA R CIA .Youraffiantsubm itsthatthere isprobable cause to believe that

M AN ZO G AR CIA possessed w ith the intent to distribute 5 kilogram s or m ore of cocaine, in

violationofTitle21,UnitedStatesCode,Section841(a)(1).
3.

The infonnation contained in this affidavitis based on m y personalknow ledge,as

w ellas inform ation relayed to m e by otherlaw enforcem entagents involved in thisinvestigation.

The inform ation setforth in thisaffidavitisprovided solely forthe purposeofestablishing probable
cause forthe arrestofM erlin M AN ZO GA RCIA . A s such,itdoes notinclude everything 1know
aboutthis investigation.
PR O BA BLE CA U SE

On or about Decem ber 12, 2014, M ANZO GARCIA initiated contact with a

confidentialsource (CS).ln a recorded phone conversation on or aboutDecember 13,2014,

M AN ZO GA RCIA told the CS thathe was calling on behalfoftA ndres''and asked the CS w hen
they could m eet. On D ecem ber 15, 2014, M AN ZO G A RCIA asked the CS if everything was
l

Case 1:15-cr-20014-RNS Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 12/22/2014 Page 4 of 5

ttready,''in a reference to the cocaine.The CS and M AN ZO GARCIA had m ultiple recorded

conversationsdiscussing thelogisticsand when M ANZO GARCIA wouldpick up thecocaine.
On oraboutDecember18,2014atapproxim ately3:00p.m .,ICE Agentsconducted a

controlleddeliveryofapproximatelytwentyone(21)kilogramsofcocainetoMANZO GARCIA in
theparking lotofthe Oftk e Depotlocated at3600 NW Leleune, M iam iSprings,Florida 33166.

M ANZO GARCIA drovetothem eetinglocation by him selffrom Orlando and m adecontactwith

the CS,who directed M ANZO GARCIA to the Pollo Tropicallocated at4211NW 36thStreet,
M iam i,Florida 33166. M AN ZO G A RCIA entered the Pollo Tropicaland m etw ith the CS and an

Undercover(UC)HS1agent. TheCS,UC and MANZO GARCIA exitedthePolloTropicaland

w alked to an undercovervehicle.

The CS,UC and MANZO GARCIA entered an undercover(UC)vehiclebeing

driven by theCS which waswired with an audio and video recordingdevice. M AN ZO G ARCIA

was shom zthe twenty one (21)kilogramsofcocaine. Atthatpoint,the CS called a man in

V enezuela believed to be the souree ofsupply forthe coeaine.In thatreeorded, m onitored call,the

source ofsupply directed the CS to give MANZO GARCIA a1ltwenty one (21)kilogramsof
cocaine. The CS then handed M ANZO GARCIA thephone and the sourceofsupply instructed

MANZO GARCIA to receive alltwenty one(21)kilogrmnsofcocainefrom theCS. M ANZO

GARCIA thenexitedtheUC vehiclewiththesuitcasescontainingthetwentyone(21)kilogramsof

cocaine.AsM ANZO GARCIA wasattemptingtoloadthesuitcasescontainingthetwentyone(21)
kilogram s of cocaine into the trunk of his vehicle, 1aw enforcem ent ofticers arrested M AN ZO
GA R CIA .

In avost-M iranda statem ent,M ANZO GARCIA adm itted thathewasgoingto be

Case 1:15-cr-20014-RNS Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 12/22/2014 Page 5 of 5

paid $1,000foreachkilogram ofcocainehepickedup. M ANZO GARCIA claim edthathewasonly

expecting to pick up 5 kilogram s ofcocaine when he firstshowed up to the meeting, butafter
speaking with the source ofsupply he agreed to take 21 kilogram s. M ANZO GARCIA further
adm itted thathe wasexpecting to receiveinstructionsregarding whereand to whom to deliverthe
cocaine .
C O N C LU SIO N

8.

Basedupon theforegoing,yourAffiantsubm itsthereisprobablecausetobelievethat

M erlin M ANZO GARCIA didknowinglypossesswiththeintenttodistribute5kilogramsormoreof

am ixture containing adetectableam ountofcocaine, in violation ofTitle 2 1,United StatesCode,

Section 84l(a)(l).

FURTHER YOUR AFFIANT SAYETH N AUGHT

SPECIAL AGENT,THOM A S CASON

IM M IG M TION A ND CU STO M S EN FORCEM EN T

Sworntoandsubscriedbeforemethis
19th day ofDecem ber,2014
%

HON.ALICIA M .OTAZO-R YES

UNITED STATES M AGISTM TE JUDGE